"Viatu vya kijivu ni vibaya"

Translation: Gray shoes are bad

[sad_quails]

What do you know Duo? You don't even wear shoes.

[ZanninaMargariti]

Why not viatu vikijivu or something like that??? Why ekundu becomes mwekundu, but not this one?

[juryrigging]

Grey is rangi ya kijivu, the colour of ash. Ash is jivu, so the ki- is already something that has been added on. Haven't figured out why yet, but green, kijani (rangi ya kijani, the colour of leaves), is another.

I'm working on a theory, but if anyone who knows turns up in the meantime, hopefully they can elaborate.

Edit to add: I'm being stupid. "Colour of X" formations, X is a noun, not an adjective, so it won't take agreement from another noun.

[AGreatUserName]

Yeah, basically -eusi, -eupe and -ekundu are the only colour adjectives. The rest are all nouns.

[Anjee99]

Why not "The grey shoes are bad."? It didn't accept the article. :(